Desmond Tutu has said that God calls us to be his partners in
changing a "crazy" world of extreme economic inequality.
The former
archbishop made the remarks in the UK, while receiving an honourary
doctorate from the University of Leicester on Friday (15 July).
He told his audience to "be as idealistic as you can ever be" after
graduating. He urged them to "Dream God’s dream. Dream as you go out
into a world that is so unequal. Dream of a different world."
Tutu, who drew international attention with his leadership role in
the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, was awarded the honourary
degree of Doctor of Letters in recognition of his work for race
relations.
Tutu said, “You know, we have an extraordinary God who is omnipotent.
But this God extraordinarily, paradoxically, is also impotent."
He explained, "When someone is hungry we do not see samosas floating
down from heaven. If that hungry person is to be fed this omnipotent God
waits on us to be God’s partners so that the miracle of feeding the
hungry happens."
Professor Gordon Campbell, speaking about Tutu at the ceremony, drew
attention to the racial and religious diversity in Leicester. He said
the city had stood alongside the people of South Africa in resisting
apartheid.
“It was Dr Tutu who coined the phrase ‘rainbow nation’ to denote the
ethnic mix of South Africa," explained Campbell, "We in Leicester live
in Britain’s rainbow city, the most diverse city in the nation; we stood
with the people of South Africa during the long years of apartheid".
Campbell added, "Dr Tutu lives a life energized by Christian belief,
and Leicester, in the words of our bishop, is the most believing city in
England".
Tutu spoke out strongly against the current state of the world and its "obscene" inequality.
"Ours is a world where children die of preventable disease because
they cannot afford very cheap vaccines," he said, "Ours is a world where
many go to bed hungry when others wonder what they are going to do with
their surpluses. Ours is a world - crazy. We spend billions on what we
call defence budgets. Billions. Obscene amounts. We know a small
fraction would enable children everywhere in the world to have clean
water to drink, enough food to eat, decent homes and affordable
healthcare."
He told those graduating from the University of Leicester, "We need
you to dream God’s dream of a world, a different kind of world, a
compassionate world, a caring world, a sharing world. God says ‘I have
no-one, except you.’ God says ‘Help me, please help me to realise my
dream'."